A Pair of Brown Eyes for a Change
by MidnightMyth
Summary: When Sakura's rival Ino is going out with her crush, Sasuke, who does she have to turn to? And why didn't she ever notice those kind brown eyes at the back of the room? It was a nice change from cold onyx. ShikaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you all like this idea! I like SakuShika, and I decided to make a fic about them! And I also needed a break from Replacing a Cherry Blossom. I love working on that fic, but sometimes it gets me so frustrated that I want to just delete it sometimes!! I need to do other fics. But don't worry!! I will be continuing RCB!! I just want to start other stories along with it!! **

**I hope you like it!!**

**Read and Review!! No flames please!!**

_It's not fair. _I think, as I look at my long-time crush, Sasuke Uchiha, making out with the most popular girl in the school, Ino Yamanaka. If it weren't for the fact that they were in a classroom, then clothes would probably be flying by now. They're groping each other as if they're alone in a freaking motel or something!! They looked as if they were having the time of their lives, while I was sitting there, miserable and looking at them with tear-stained eyes.

I look down, when he looks up from his hot make-out session, as if feeling my gaze. I act as if nothing is happening to me, just paying attention to the lesson on the board. But it's so freaking hard!!

I keep hearing their moans, their lust filled sighs, and their gasps. Each making me want to cry. Ino used to be my best friend, until she started hanging out with the "cool" crowd, then she started ignoring me. And if she didn't ignore me, then she would make fun of me. About me wide forehead, my pink hair, my glasses, anything she could see. It hurt so much. I just wish-

"_Oh Sasuke!" _

-that I could find someone who wouldn't abandon me, who would actually stay by my side, and support me. Who would-

_"Right there, babe, yes, right there!"_

-stay straight with me, and not lie straight to me face, and use every-

_" (gasp) Sasuke! (gasp) Oh!!"_

-secret that I've ever trusted them enough to tell them, against me. Someone, who-

_" (moan) Sasuke, please... (gasp) Sasuke!!"_

- hurt me like this.

I felt hot tears streaming down my face, not stopping anytime soon. I tried to wipe them away, but it was useless. They wouldn't stop. I tried to look over at the window, to make sure that the couple didn't see me crying, and I saw Shikamaru.

Shikamaru was Ino's best friend. Ever since pre-k. Even before me!! I could see that his hands were clenched, the vains popping out of his tan skin. He too, seemed to be trying to ignore the sounds around him. It was a miracle that the rest of the class didn't hear, or that the teacher didn't notice, for that matter. But, it seemed that eveyone was oblivious to it besides us.

Shikamaru had a crush on Ino since, well, the day he met her. And it must be big blow to see her all over another guy. It probably hurt as much as it does for me. I turn back to my paper, lowering my head so my long hair veiled my face from prying eyes, when I saw that he noticed that he was being watched. I tried to stop the my shoulders from shaking, but it was as if they had a mind of their own, and just continued. Shikamaru noticed that right off the bat.

He looked at my hair, and instantly knew it was me. I was the only girl who had pink hair in the entire school, heck, probably the entire city of Konoha! I just ignored everything and stared at my paper, waiting for the stupid bell to ring. I was beginning to beleive that the school was having technical difficulties, and was trying to figure out how long there was until my next class, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened and looked up. It was Shikamaru.

He gave me a pained half smile, and said in a low whisper," It's going to be alright. We'll make it through this, somehow." And this somehow brought a little smile to my lips, as I looked at his face. I hadn't noticed that he was so handsome before, or that his eyes were a kind brown, a nice change from the regular cold, lifeless black eyes I'm used to looking at.

I smiled back at him, but my tears were still falling. He looked at the sparkling liquid flowing down my cheeks, and wiped them away. " Don't cry over something that's not worth it." He whispered, but he still had his hand on my cheek. I instinctively leaned into it, and he seemed to cradle me without noticing. Just when he was about to say something, the bell rang. That snapped us out of our little moment, and I blushed, smiled, and turned my head away. I gathered my things, and walked out of my class, not knowing that a pair of brown eyes were looking at me with confused amusement. And followed...

**Thank you for reading!! It's kinda short, but I'll make the next chapter longer, I promise. And I always keep my promises!! Dattebayo!!**

**Oh Gosh, I'm hanging around Naruto too much...**

**Anyways...**

**Read and Review!! No flames please!!**

**Sincerely,**

**The crazy nice lady who is hoping you review,**

**  
Midnight-chan**


	2. Just Undiscovered

**I am keeping this a ShikaSaku fic. I want to try my hand in this coupling anyway. Besides, I can always make a Sakuracentric fic later on, when I'm done with this one.**

**I'm so sorry for not updating in soo long!! I didn't update 'cuz I was moving, and then I got sick, and then I was grounded, and then school started and...**

**Ugh**

I walked towards my locker, intent on just putting away my books and grabbing my other notebooks. I started turning the dial, my hands already familiar with the routine, and let my mind wonder towards what had happened between me and Shikamaru-san.

It hadn't meant anything, right?

It was just something that had happened in a moment of weakness, and it probably wasn't even worth mentioning.

. . . right?

Right.

The second she had answered her own question, a hand slammed the locker-door shut right when she had finished the combinations. She turned and slumped when she saw that the hand was male. Starting from his long slim fingers, Sakura dragged her gaze up his slightly muscular arms, and took in the shoulders. Lean, and elegant. She looked at the neck, not too tall, not too thick, perfectly elegant. She took in his face, and saw the perfect features and cold mocking brown eyes.

Idly, she wondered where the warmth in them had gone.

Maybe they had gone straight to hell, along with his other affections for her, Sakura thought, morbidly amused at the thought, even as her eyes clouded over and her throat constricted with too much emotion. She had just relaxed from the storm of crying a few minutes ago, and dealing with this so soon after that was making her chest and throat ache with something she couldn't identify. Even if she had so much emotions, it didn't mean that she was good with them. She always had too much of the things. And no matter what she did, it would always hurt her the most.

Her brother hated her, and she still didn't know why. And yeah, sure, it didn't hurt like hell to know he'd rather swallow nails than talk with her. And nope, it didn't hurt that he laughed at her along with the other people in school. And it didn't really sting when he'd just watch with an amused smile when she cried, really, it didn't. And no, it didn't hurt when he'd act as if he was sorry for everything he'd done to her, and she'd fucking _believe him, _and that fucking _low_-life bastard went and did something even worse to her, and told all his friend about it, and laughed about it over a couple of beers while she was left to cry herself to sleep.

She told you already, it didn't bother her at all.

_(You're in denailYou're in denialYou're in denial.)_An annoying voice sang in her head, it too mocking her. Sounding so much like a familiar blond.

She couldn't even have a haven in her own mind.

How fucked up was that?

She stared blankly at the cold eyes before her, waiting for the reason he had so rudely, but sadly, so _routinely_, slammed her locker shut. She was just so tired from all these emotions.

So tired of having to keep herself from blowing up and breaking down in front of everyone.

So Goddamned friggin' tired of being hurt and betrayed and laughed at and just plain tired of everyone in general.

It made her heart hurt, and she really wanted this feeling to go away.

So maybe she wouldn't hurt as much, and maybe her eyes would stop acting as if they were faucets that just kept on leaking, and maybe, just maybe, she could find enough courage to love someone.

And expect them to love her back.

Unconditionally. Unattached. No strings attached. Love. Plain and simple.

But nothing could ever be plain and simple with her life.

Nope, never.

_(Ugh. Pessimistic much?)_ The same childishly mocking voice said, as if she had heard all her thoughts. Judging by the fact that it was indeed in her head, and not just another prank from her older brother to make her look stupid, the voice probably had heard her thoughts.

But she didn't have to be so mean about it...

A cold voice interrupted her thoughts, "Hey, dear sister of mine. Did you have a nice day?" Sasori's mocking eyes glinted with laughter. Her own eyes starting to water, Sakura tried hard not to cry.

He notice this, and smirked, going further. "I heard that the Uchiha kid hooked up with... what's her name?" Sasori pretended to think about this for a moment, his friends smirking and laughing in the background. His hand still against her locker, trapping her.

"Didn't you used to be friends with her, huh? Little sister?" He asked, a fake innocent look on his face.

Sakura numbly nodded her head, whispering in answer,"...yes..."

Finally chuckling, Sasori leaned in closer, so his face was less than a foot away.

"And her name was... Please tell me, little sister. I'm just dying to know." He pretended to beg, but there was an undercurrent of a demand in it, that she dare not go against.

Her heart's pain sharpened, and her throat seemed to understand that she needed to answer, so she could feel more pain for it later.

"...Yamanaka... Ino..."Sakura whispered, looking away from him, staring at the ground. She was aware of the cruel laughter, and the tears falling from her eyes.

So very much aware of them as they slid down her cheeks. Getting her cheeks red, and her nose a light shade of pink.

Sasori leaned his head in farther, until his mouth was right next to her ear. He whispered the last knives that would stab her.

"I think they make a wonderful couple, don't you?"

At this, her silent tears started gushing out, silent sobs wracked her body. She mutely gasped for air, dimly aware that her brother and his friends had already left. They had gotten their entertainment for the day, after all.

She clutched her notebooks closer to her, as she leaned agains the wall.

Why? Why would he do this to her, when he knew how much she liked Sasuke? Did he really hate her that much? Couldn't he go against his urges this one time, and not be so cruel to her? Couldn't he have just stayed silent about this matter, just once?

But what the saddest thing was, she never expected him to do any of these things.

She didn't expect him to care.

-

-

Shikamaru silently watched as Sakura-san was being mocked by who he knew was Sasori. He mentally went through what he knew about him and his friends.

Haruno, Sasori

Age:17

Guardians:

Haruno Asami: Mother

Haruno Hideo: Father

Brother to Haruno Sakura. One of the top scholars of his year, next to the rest of his friends.

Eyes: Reddish brown

Hair: Red

Height: 5 foot 10 inches

The last time he was measured. He was somewhere around that height. Not too tall, and not too small.

Body Build: Lean

Friends: Are known as the Akatsuki, notorious gang. Only petty crimes.

It wasn't much, but at least he knew. He wondered if it was a daily occurrence, and why Sakura-san just took it without complaint.

He was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard muffled crying and cruel laughter from where Sakura-san was. He saw Sakura leaning against her locker, crying, and Sasori and his friends walking away.

Laughing as usual.

Watching Sakura-san cry again, he wondered why he had reassured her. He knew it wasn't for himself, well... maybe a bit for himself too. He wondered why he was pleased by the fact that she had leaned in a bit into his hand, as he -unknowingly then-cradled her.

He wondered why he felt a twist in his gut when he heard the words that were being said to her. He loved Ino, and she was in love with Sasuke.

They were common souls hurt by the people they loved, so naturally he would gravitate to her in his time of need.

Or so he told himself.

It was because he had just stopped those pretty tears from falling from her sad eyes, was he sad that she was crying again. It was because even though she looked pretty when she cried, and that they just didn't seem to fit with her, that he didn't like seeing her cry. It was because he had given the energy to do something for her, that he was irritated that she was doing something that he did not like seeing her do.

It was because of all of those reasons, that he walked up to her and crouched down at her level, since she had slid down to sit and hug her knees to her chest.

He sighed, looking half embarrassed to do such a thing for a girl, and said,"You are one troublesome girl, you know that?" Shikamaru finished, looking at her.

Sakura silently lifted her head, hearing a familiar voice. She looked at Shikamaru shockingly, wondering how much he had heard, and if he was just here to mock her too.

_(You're just too insecure to know that he won't hurt you, even though he should.) _That annoying blonde's voice came in. Seeming to dislike him for acknowledging her.

He looked her straight in the eye, never seeming to blink, and said,"Didn't I tell you not to cry over something that doesn't deserve your tears?"

He stood up, and held his hand out. Still looking directly at her, patiently waiting for her to take his hand.

And she did, albeitly warily at first. Tentative to touch his waiting hand with hers.

Softly grasping her hand in his, blankly noting how soft and small it was, Shikamaru helped her up. Sending her a reassuringly small smile, when she looked so wary of him.

Still holding her hand, he looked at her, studied her. And said, "You'll be alright in time."

He deftly let go, although slowly, and let his hand fall to his side. He stared into her eyes, wondering why he was doing so much for such a troublesome woman, and walked backwards. Looking into her eyes all the while, until he turned a corner and was out of sight.

Sakura stared surprised,at the corner that Shikamaru-san had just gone around.

There it was.

Unattached. No strings. Plain and Simple.

Just undiscovered.

**Wow, I wrote that right? I can't believe I wrote that. I usually see that in other author's writing, but never mine. **

**Wow, just wow. I actually put romance in that!! Well, that was more like friendship, but still. It can lead there, right?**

**Please don't burst my bubble. **

**No flames, but please review!!**

**Sincerely,**

**Midnight-chan**


	3. Cloud Nine Wishes

**_So, here I am, eating sushi in front of my computer, wondering what the heck the weather is doing raining in the middle of summer? Anyway, I am sorry I have not updated in... let's not go there. My reason? Well, it was a combination of laziness, writer's block, and personal problems. Mainly the laziness and the personal problems, though. So don't worry, I'm still going with my stories, I'm just not all that motivated. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Oh, and before I forget, I do not own Naruto, nor do I claim to. This is just a fanfic, made for amusement, I do not make a profit from it. So there!_**

**_Read and Review! No Flames please!_**

Sakura felt her lips twitch upward, in a faint imitation of a smile. Her eyes softened as she looked at her hand, and brought it up to her own cheek. Stroking it softly, touching where his hand once was. She continued to stare unseeingly at the hallway, unaware that her barely-there smile, had turned into a slight grin.

She leaned against the locker, not because her legs felt like gel-o (because that would be cliche). But because, (honestly?) she felt so happy, and she didn't know why. She had to forcibly relax her body, instead of cheering and yelling, jumping around- which was so uncharacteristic of her. She wanted to yell something to the heavens, she just didn't know what yet.

Odd, but she was never one of the normal people, right?

_(Tch, girl. You're the very definition of abnormal.)_ And the voice was back. Was it ever going to leave her alone?

_(Don't count on it honey. I'm here to stay.)_Sakura blinked, and almost frowned a smile. Those quizzical ones that wasn't quite a smile, because you didn't know if you were supposed to smile. Or frown because it went against what you felt. One of those half smile-frowns.

Because she wasn't quite sure why she was still smiling, even though that voice was trying to bring her down. It seemed, she was quite cheerful, huh? She felt happy, and she still didn't know why. She smiled softly, staring unseeingly out the window.

She didn't notice the bell ring or the people milling about, trying to get to their next class so they wouldn't be late. She didn't notice the people pointedly staring at her, and whispering secrets and rumors to friends that were probably about her. She didn't notice, and she didn't care.

Because, apparently, she was on something called "Cloud Nine". A cloud she had never been on before. And, ya know? She was enjoying it.

So, no. She did not notice that people gave her curious glances. She didn't notice the girls giggling while looking at her. Or the jocks making funny faces at her. (And she really hoped that they knew that they looked uglier than usual doing that...)

And most importantly, she didn't notice a certain couple walking hand in hand. Passing directly in front of her.

She just continued to bubble inside, laughing at the world inwardly.

Because for once in her life, she was on Cloud Nine, she was happy, and she was pretty sure she had made a friend.

-

-

Strolling to class, at a slower pace than usual, Shikamaru smiled lazily. He glanced down, the smile soft and still present. He was unaware of the people around him- in fact, did the bell ring already?

Hm, it apparently had. He didn't really care. Was this all really because of one girl? All because he had done a good deed? It probably wasn't, but he wasn't going to dwell on it.

He felt light on his feet, too and...what was the word for it?

Right, content.

He felt pretty damn good, compared to how he felt not a period before. He had felt so betrayed, so fed up with it all. Wondering if it all was a friggin' plan against him, just to make his life a lot more troublesome than it already was.

Shikamaru paused, glancing back. Was she troublesome? Was she out to get him? Was she just another girl, just another heartache waiting to happen?

More importantly...

...was she worth it?

Sighing, he looked out a window, searching for something comforting, something familiar. He let his eyes roam, looking for a cloud. Glancing at the corner of the window and looking away, he nearly got whiplash from turning his head back so fast. There, sitting on the very corner of the window, was a Daruma doll. It's eyes still white, thus meaning it's wish still unasked. He stared at the doll, the doll's unseeing eyes staring back.

Muttering how foolish and childish it was, he got out a black marker. Now holding it in his hands, he traced his hands over the egg shaped doll. Popping the lid off his pen, he began to color in an eye for the right side, and paused when he noticed the ink was dry. Smiling, he threw out the pen, and took out another. He stared at the only marker he had.

Brown would do.

* * *

**_And since I know someone is going to wonder what in the heck a Daruma doll is, I'll tell you. It is a doll that is roundish, the eyes are white. When you color the eye in, you are supposed to think of a wish. When it comes true, you color in the other eye. You generally start with the right eye, though._**

**_But did you get what I was saying with the final paragraph and sentence? I know all of you are smart, so you've gotta. You've just gotta! But if you don't I'll give you a hint. The brown pen instead of the black one. Ya get it now? _**

**_Anyway, I know it's short, but I thought you guys deserved a chapter (short as it is) for waiting so long. I know I'm not very good at updating, but I will never abandon my stories. If it looks like I did, I'm just stuck in a big-assed rut._**

On another note, does anyone want to play a game? Okay here it is! I name a prompt, and you guys either find a fanfic (preferably Naruto, thank you) with the requirements, or you make your own! Or you could draw it, ya know? The winner is judged by who finds, writes, or draws the best, okay? And, it's just a game, so I will award you all, with.... cookies! And if you have a story, I will personally read, favorite, and review it! And I will try to review every chappie, okay? But if it's a long-assed one... like 25 chapter one... I will do only 20! Ya hear? Lol, I hope plenty of you will play!

Prompt: Minds, Food, clock, and Past.

Please make sure that Sakura is the main character, 'cause I don't think I could read one where there is different main character... sorry. I think those prompts are relatively easy. The story has to contain all of those prompts, thank-you. Otherwise, that would be cheating, ne?

Read and Review! Don't forget to play!  
Sincerely,

Midnight-chan


	4. It's Warm, Not Burning

**So, here I am. I ran across my account on FanFiction, and I must admit, I totally forgot about this. I have no idea why, when this story compels me even now to finish it. I am just now getting back into writing, because of some feelings that I finally put a name to. And my experiences prompted me to write, to type them all out, so I am here now. : )**

**I am currently lying in my bed, rain tapping against my window, listening to a beautiful composition called **_Teardrop Waltz_** from the Korean drama Spring Waltz. Beautiful, simply beautiful, the both of them. **

**And so, again, I do not own Naruto, and I never will.**

* * *

Shikamaru had not seen Sakura all day, after her encounter with her brother.

But he had heard plenty about her, throughout the day.

"_Did you hear?"_

"_Hear what? Did something happen?"_

"_Yeah! You know that Haruno freak, right? Well-"_

"_How could I not, what with her weird pink hair and god-awful forehead. Seriously, pink hair? She's just crying for attention, that weirdo. What a bi-"_

"_Yeah, I know! I know! But seriously, all day today, she's had a weird smile on her face. Like, she's happy, or some shit."_

"_You serious? What, did she get a C in some quiz, or something? I heard she's really stupid. And-"_

Though the insults (and there were plenty) made him frown slightly, his expression softened at the thought of Sakura smiling. She was pretty when she cried, and he could only imagine what she would look like smiling.

Beautiful, was his only thought. Maybe he was getting better, or he was simply focusing his affections or obsessions onto Sakura, but the warmth in his chest was much better than the choking pain of his heartbreak.

He couldn't recognize what he was feeling, but when he thought about her, affection was the only word that came to mind. He was feeling affection for her.

How deep that affection was, how intense, or where that affection would lead to, he had no idea.

And he paid it no mind.

Where it wills to go, it will go, he decided. He wasn't one to control everything, and he decided that he was quite alright with the direction of how things were going.

He needn't interfere.

They could take it slow. They had all the time in the world.

A shrill bell interrupted his thoughts, signaling the end of the day. Gathering his things, he waited until almost everyone was gone. When the rush had passed him by, he got out of his seat and strolled over to the exit of the school, walking at his usual unhurried pace.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spied a flash of pink and hastily whipped his head around, searching for the girl he always associated the color with.

Seeing the figure turn down another hallway, he rapidly came up with a map of the school within his head. He figured that there was a hallway adjoining his and her paths, and swiftly set about finding it, jogging in order to reach it quickly. The corridor he was looking for created a path between the hallway that he was currently in and the hallway she was walking, and thus created an H shape. When he reached the corridor, he tried to regain his breath, and relaxed his stance. He walked casually, and when he heard her dainty footsteps, he slowed to an almost snail's pace.

He timed it perfectly, it seems, for when he turned his head to look at her, she did the same.

And in that moment they gazed at each other, one from either end of the corridor that joined their own hallways. He took in her features, noting the clear surprise in her expression-

_She's even pretty when she's surprised, _Shikamaru thought, dazed. What was this? He was curious, he had never experienced this sort of feeling. A feeling of warmth and soothing and some sort of euphoria. With Ino, his old long-time crush, he had felt burning heat in his lower stomach, the heat traveling his whole body until that fire consumed him.

But this heat- no, this _warmth _was so much different. It didn't consume him, didn't leave him feeling completely empty. This left him feeling… calm, at peace.

_She calms me_, he thought. Which was strange, because it wasn't like he was high-strung, he was lazy and could barely care about anything- but she still calmed him, soothed him. Made him feel something, but he couldn't put a word to it, no matter his vast vocabulary.

_I feel like I'm watching clouds, actually_, Shikamaru thought. But his thoughts were broken when she blinked, for it seems that they had been having an unconscious staring match.

He smiled gently, and her eyes widened in shock. She studied him, gazed at his mouth which was upturned in a smile and stared into his eyes.

It made him sad that she was so wary, so surprised when he had only smiled at her, but his thoughts came screeching to a halt.

Because she smiled back at him.

It was a shy smile, her eyes timidly lowered and her long eyelashes seemed even longer. Her lips were closed, but they were still in that lovely, shy smile.

It was his turn to stare in shock, his turn for his eyes to widen. And he was left speechless and still staring when she had ducked her head (her lips still in that lovely, lovely smile) and hurried off.

That warmth in his chest spread, and his smile turned into a full-on grin.

He was right.

Her smile was beautiful.

* * *

**Well, it seems as if I still got it! I wonder if my writing style changed any? Is it worse, is it bad? Or is it just the same?**

**My love for this story has come back, and it always leaves me feeling happy : ) **

**Oh, well. Please leave reviews, and no flames please! Thank you.**

Midnight-chan


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